How Do I ...
Public
Although the Solicitor’s Office has investigators who are duly sworn law-enforcement officers, their primary role is sharing intelligence and helping our attorneys prepare cases for trial. If you are in an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately. Other, non-emergency complaints and reports should be directed to the law-enforcement agency where the possible offense took place.
If you have information about a possible crime but would like to remain anonymous, you can call Crimestoppers at 843-554-1111. You can also report to Crimestoppers using a smartphone app – click here for the App Store on your iOS device, or here for the Google Play app on your Andriod device.
For more information, click here to report a crime by location.
If someone has written you a bad check that has been returned by the financial institution, we can assist you in getting payment. You will need to send a copy of the original check (usually marked “legal copy”) and fill out the Worthless Check form available on this website or in any of our six offices.
See our page about the Worthless Check program for details.
“Diversionary programs” is a blanket term for programs that provide an alternative to prison, typically for first-time and/or non-violent offenders. The Solicitor’s Office runs several diversionary programs, including Pretrial Intervention, as well as drug, veterans and domestic-violence courts. Our diversionary programs are listed under “alternative sentencing” in this website’s navigation.
Click on it to get a dropdown menu of specific diversionary programs.
Charged or convicted of a crime prosecuted by our office
It is inappropriate for representatives of our office to consult with you regarding the dates for your upcoming hearings or trial. You should consult with your attorney, instead. You might also find information about upcoming matters on the link that corresponds to the court where your case is being heard:
For more information on public indexes, click here.
Pretrial Intervention is a “diversionary” program in South Carolina designed for first-time offenders charged with non-violent offenses. To qualify, participants must be referred by the court.
For more information, see our page about Pretrial Intervention.
For more information about Juvenile Pretrial Intervention, Juvenile Multidisciplinary Court or Juvenile Arbitration, click here.
Under very specific conditions set forth in state law, people who have previously been charged with crimes can have all qualifying arrest and charging records destroyed.
You can learn more about whether you qualify to have an offense cleared from your record by visiting the Expungements page on this website.
Please note, we CANNOT expunge information such as news reports, third-party agencies or information provided by private agencies on the internet.
The Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office offers a Traffic Education Program in lieu of points on your driving record for offenses carrying less than four points (no DUI/DUAC or reckless operation). To qualify, you must be referred to the program by the court.
For more information, visit the Traffic Education page.
The Alcohol Education Program is designed to combat underage drinking and the high-risk behavior that goes with it. In South Carolina, an alcohol charge conviction may result in fines, incarceration, suspension of a driver’s license, loss of financial aid/scholarships and a criminal record that may have lingering effects on your ability to seek employment. This program is offered as an alternative to a conviction, and includes guidance, education and community service.
For more information, visit the Alcohol Education page on this website.
Victims
The locations and status of inmates sentenced to prison can be tracked by visiting the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
To check the status of prisoners at a county jail, you can contact the Statewide Automated Victim Information Notification system or call 866-727-2846. Beaufort County offers an online prisoner search for its Detention Center.
For more information, click here for additional information.
If you seek information or a status update about a case in which you are a victim, you call our office at 843-779-8477 and speak to the victim’s advocate for that case. If you are looking for information after business hours or are not a victim in a particular case, you might also search the Public Index of court cases. Click on the link that corresponds to the incident location of the case in which you’re interested:
For more information on tracking a case, click here.
If you are a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, we encourage you seek help. In an immediate emergency, call 9-1-1.
The Solicitor’s Office and its nonprofit partners have also created the 14th Circuit Victims Services Center, which can arrange counseling, housing, job assistance and legal assistance to those coping with domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and other crimes against the vulnerable.
For more information, visit the Victims Center page here.
Call 843-790-6220 to reach our center, or go to the center’s webpage to learn more about what’s offered there.
Assistance is also available through Hopeful Horizon’s hotline at 1-800-868-2632. Those in Allendale County can call the Cumbee Center at 803-649-0480.
You DO NOT have to be a victim in a case pending with the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office to use the Victims Services Center.
First and foremost, we want you to be safe.
Our office has a dedicated team of professionals who work with crime victims and witnesses at every step of the judicial process. A victim’s advocate is assigned to each case and will attempt to make contact with the victim within 48 hours of arrest to gather information and to inform them of their rights throughout the process.
If you need to speak with your advocate, call 843-779-8477 or [email protected].
For more information on the Victims Advocates and Rights, click here.
Section 24 of the Constitution of South Carolina guarantees victims a number of rights. It is the job of the Solicitor’s Office victim advocates to assist crime victims in exercising their rights.
For a full listing of those rights, go to our page for victims.
It is not possible to say for certain how long it will take the for a criminal case to come to disposition. Sometimes, it takes mere weeks; sometimes, thorough prosecution can take years. However, most cases will follow a predictable path, and we have prepared a resource to explain what you can expect as a case moves through the system.
Click here to better understand the court process, from start to finish.
Media
The Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office will provide copies of public records in its custody unless the records are exempt from disclosure under S.C. Code of Laws 30-4-40. We pride ourselves in our prompt responses.
See our information requests page for details on how to make a request.
Communications Director Jeff Kidd ([email protected], 843-790-6439) or Community Relations Specialist Erinn McGuire ([email protected], 843-790-6453) will be happy to route your request and put you in touch with the person who can answer your questions.
For more information, visit our media policies page.
While we pride ourselves on prompt, open responses to reporters’ questions about the cases we handle, as a matter of law and professional ethics, prosecutors face unique restrictions on their “extra-judicial” comments – such as news interviews – when a matter is pending before our office.
For details, see our page on media policies.
We have compiled a trove of resources for the media and the public – Solicitor’s Office annual reports, white papers and public presentations relevant to our operations, statistical reports, and links to off-site information to help you better understand the world of criminal justice and law enforcement.
Visit our resources page to learn more.
Section 24 of the Constitution of South Carolina guarantees victims a number of rights. It is the job of the Solicitor’s Office victim advocates to assist crime victims in exercising their rights.
For a full listing of those rights, go to our page for victims.
Careers & Programs
Our Community Support Program is designed to put the diverse talents of dedicated volunteers to good use for the benefit of the judicial system – for instance reviewing inmate jail calls for possible use at trial. All of our volunteers are thoroughly screened and then assigned to a variety of important tasks throughout the office. To learn more, email [email protected] or call 843-790-6453.
For more information, visit our volunteers page.
Communications Director Jeff Kidd ([email protected], 843-790-6439) or Community Relations Specialist Erinn McGuire ([email protected], 843-790-6453) will be happy to route your request and put you in touch with the person who can answer your questions.
For more information, visit our externships page.
In addition to an externship for aspiring prosecutors, we also have internship programs for those interested in becoming victim advocates or working in law-enforcement intelligence. These programs are open to current college enrollees.
For more information on the qualifications for these programs, go to our internship page.
Public-speaking requests
We are happy to provide a tour of our headquarters or a speaker for your group event, if our schedule permits.
Please fill out the form on this page to get the ball rolling.
